Novelty Hill 2009 Syrah features juicy ripe cherry accented with nutmeg and caramel. While not especially recognizably of its cepage or distinctive, its pure fruit and polished texture are quite winsome, and I would expect it to perform well for several years. A vegetal note creeps into the finish, though it might more adequately integrate with time.
Novelty Hill wines are made by veteran Mike Januik in the same (deluxe, now five year old) facility as are his Januik wines (reviewed separately in this report), but is a partnership with Tom Alberg and Judi Beck that originated when in 2000 they consulted with Januik on the establishment of what became Stillwater Creek Vineyard. Unsurprisingly, that inspirational Frenchman Hills site (for a bit more about which, see my comments in the introduction to this report) is the source for around one-third the volume of Novelty Hill’s wines (and is, incidentally, where I tasted them). While there are a number of excellent white wines on this roster, it should be borne in mind that more than three-quarters of Novelty Hill production is red, vinified along the lines sketched in my account of Januik wines in the present report.
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